Mechanisms for freeing flaps and cutouts and for breaking score lines



Oct. 9, 1956 R. w. ANNESS MECHANISMS FOR FREEING FLAPS AND CUT-OUTS ANDFOR BREAKING SCORE LINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 29, 1952 IN VEN TOR.

$155544 Mum/#nmwas,

ATTORNEYS.

1956 R. w. ANNESS MECHANISMS FOR FREEING FLAPS AND CUT-OUTS AND FORBREAKING SCORE LINES Filed May 29, 1952 INVENTOR. {555.421. ,WLLMMflwvsss,

Claw- 4% ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 9, 1956 R w, ss 2,765,713

MECHANISMS FOR FREEZING FLAPS AND CUT-OUTS AND FOR BREAKING SCORE LINESFiled May 29, 1952 4 .Sheets-Sheet 3 Q l in! I N V EN TOR. final. #4410?flwvfss,

ATTORN EYS.

Oct. 9, 1956 R w ANNESS 2,765,713

MECHANISMS FOR FREIEING FLAPS AND CUT-OUTS AND FOR BREAKING SCORE LINESFiled May 29, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I N V EN TOR. $155521. M; 4/4/11%/wvs.ss,

BY Y

ATTORNEYS,

2,755,7l3 Fatented Oct. 9, 1956 NIECHANISMS FOR FREEHNG FLAPS AND CUT-OUTS AND FOR BREAKING SORE LINES Russell William Anness, Middletown,Cthio, assignor to The Gardner Board and Carton Co, Middietown, (Ethic,a corporation of Ohio Application May 29, 1952, Serial N 290,732

9 Claims. (Cl. 93-36) My invention relates to means for treating cartonblanks adapted for installation on any carton folding and gluingmachine. As the description proceeds it will be evident that theprinciples of the invention are of advantage in connection with thepreparation of any carton blanks for carton formation and subsequentuse, and in particular where cartons are to be erected, closed andsealed by automatic machines. With this in mind, but in order to make anexemplary showing of my invention, I shall describe it in connectionwith operations performed upon paperboard milk bottle blanks and thelike since these present some of the problems in an exaggerated form.

This application is a continuation-impart application of my copendingapplication Serial No. 105,544 entitled Mechanism for Freeing Flaps andCut-Outs, which copending application was filed July 19, 1949, and hassince issued as Patent Number 2,655,841.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and dependablemechanism for freeing carton flaps from each other so that chanceattachment of cut edges of the flaps to each other will not interferewith the closing operations to which the cartons will ultimately besubjected.

In the ordinary manufacture of paperboard cartons, where printed sheetsof paperboard are cut and scored on any of the conventional cutting andscoring presses, it frequently happens that by reason of worn dies orvagaries of operation of the cutting and scoring press, adjacent flapsat the end or ends of a seal-end carton will be connected to each otherby a thin web of material. It has been the practice in the art to takeprecautions to free these flaps; but the procedure hitherto adopted hasinvolved the taking of a stack of preformed blanks and the bending ofadjacent flaps relative to each other in the stack by hand. Not only isthis inconvenient and time consuming, but in the case of cartons forfood products where contamination may be a factor, the hand-bending ofthe flaps is undesirable. So far as I am. aware, there has neverhitherto been provided any mechanism whereby adjacent flaps may be freedof each other on a carton handling machine, such as a carton folding andgluing machine; and it is one of the objects of my invention to produceamechanism for this purpose.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a mechanism which willnot only free adjacent flaps one from the other but which will alsocause these flaps to be broken along various score lines providedtherein It is another object of the invention to provide a mechanismwhich is simple and positive in its action, which is inexpensive infirst cost, and which takes up so little room longitudinally of themachine upon which it is to be installed, that it may be installed onany standard machine without prolongation of. the machine length.

In certain types of cartons there are also small tabs or cut-outs whichmust be removed from the carton blanks .as an incident to themanufacture of cartons in the finished, knocked down condition. Suchtabs or cut-outs are normally formed by the die used for cutting andscoring the carton blanks. Ordinarily, the cut-out or tab is produced bya cutting rule which, in the die, is bent to surround the area of thecut-out and has its ends approaching or substantially contacting eachother. It is not desirable, however, to have the die so constructed asactually to remove the tabs or cut-outs since under these circumstancesthe removed material would remain in the cutting die and interfere withsubsequent cutting operations. As a consequence, the die is soconstructed that the cut-out or tab will remain an integral part of theblank and leave the cutting and scoring press with the blank. Ordinarilythis occurs automatically because the ends of the cutting rule do notquite come together, leaving a small portion of the material connectingthe tab or cut-out with the main body of the blank. Where the die is soconstructed as not to do this, it is common practice to nick the cuttingrule in one or more places to provide connections which will insure thetab or cutout remaining a part of the blank. As a consequence, whereblanks contain such tabs or cut-outs there has in the past been aseparate operation for their removal which also is time consuming andinconvenient. This is especially true when the tab or cut-out is verysmall in area, special tools being required for the purpose. So far as Iam aware, there has never hitherto been devised any mechanism which, as:an app'urtenance to a carton blank treating machine such as a cartonfolder and gluer, would operate to remove such. tabs and cut-outs in apositive and efiicient manner. It is an object of this invention toprovide such a mechanism.

It is also an object of the invention to provide simple conjoint deviceshaving common driving means for all of the purposes set forth above.

These and other objects of the invention which will be mentionedhereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon readingthese specifications, I accomplish by that construction and arrangementof parts and in those operations of which I shall now describe anexemplary embodiment, in connection with the paperboard milk bottle setforth above.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view ofa portion of a carton folding and gluingmachine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view of a paperboard blank taken alongthe section line 2-2 in Figure 1, prior to the removal of a cut-out ortab.

Figure 3 is a partial .sectional view of la paperboard blank taken alongthe section line 3-3 in Figure 1, after the removal of the tab orcut-out.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectionalview of the mechanism of Figure 1 takenalong the section line 4I-4 in that figure.

Figure 5 is a partial sectional view of a portion of the apparatus takenalong the section line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the apparatustaken along section line 66 of Figure 7.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same apparatus takenalong the section line '77 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modification of my invention whereinthe mechanism disclosed includes means for breaking various of the flapsalong score lines provided therein.

Figure 9 is a detailed perspective view of that portion of the mechanismof Figure 8 which operates on the flaps at the forward end of the cartonas moved.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 but showing the mechanism as itoperates on the flaps at the rear end of the carton blank as moved.

In Figure 1 I have shown paperboard blanks for milk bottles in severalpositions. These blanks are cut and scored to provide body walls 8, 9,and 11 articulated together, the wall 11 being provided with a glue flap12. At one end of the carton seal-end-type flaps 13, 14, 15 and 16 arearticulated by score lines to the lower ends of the body walls.

At the opposite ends of the body wall there are ele ments 17, 18, 19 and29 in the nature of extensions, articulated to the body walls and toeach other, and scored to provide a gable-top closure with an upstandingrib and closure flaps as is well understood in the paper milk bottleart. In one of the body walls, such as the body wall 10, and in theadjacent element 19, a lift-tab 21 is formed by a substantially U-shapedcut; but at the base of the U there is formed a small tab or cut-out 22which is designed to be removed entirely from the carton blank. Later onin the carton folding and gluing machine, a cover member 23 having ahole 24 will be spotted over this portion of the wall 10 and element 19so as to cover the tab 21. It will be understood by those familiar withthe paper milk bottle art that when the carton has been formed, filledand closed and the user desires to dispense milk from it, he will engagethe tab 21 and lift it, thereby uncovering the hole 24 as a pour-ingorifice. The removal of the tab 22 facilitates the engagement of thelower part of the tab 21 by the fingernail for the lifting of the tab. Amechanism for spotting the element 23 on the carton forms no part of thepresent invention and has not been illustrated herein. The mechanismhereinafter described serves the purpose of freeing the bottom seal-endclosure flaps 13, 14, 15 and 16 from each other, and also the purpose ofremoving the small tab 22 from the blank. This is accomplished prior tothe folding and gluing of the blank to make a knocked-down tubularcarton structure; and the machine part of which is illustrated in thefigures herein is conceived as a standard carton folding and gluingmachine for this purpose.

The machine will be further understood to have an initial hopper andfeeding means. Preferably these are of the form described and claimed inmy co-pending application Serial No. 105,543, now Patent No. 2,639,916,filed July 19, 1949, and entitled Timed Feeding Device for CartonBlanks, although other types of feeders may be employed. The cartonblanks, fed from such a hopper, will be delivered to means for carryingthem through the machine. Such means are shown in an exemplary fashionin Figure 1 as comprising a pair of chains 25 and 26, forming the mainconveyor chains of the machine and provided with lugs 27 and 28 engagingthe trailing ends of the carton blanks and serving to move them. Inconnection with such chains, rails 29, 30, 31 and 32 are ordinarilyprovided. Main side frames of the machine are indicated at 33 and 34.The mechanism herein described may be located at any part of the machinein which the blanks are still in unfolded condition, but is preferablylocated adjacent the feed hopper.

For the purpose of freeing the flaps 13, 14, 15 and 16 from each other,I journal across the machine an upper and a lower shaft. On these shaftsI afflx cooperating pairs of rotating elements, there being an elementto engage edge portions of two adjacent flaps. As to such a pair ofelements, one will be an anvil member or support designed to preventdisplacement of the flap which it engages, while the cooperating memberengaging the next adjacent flap will be so shaped as to depress or raisethe said flap with respect to the supported flap. Whether any particularflap is raised or lowered with respect to its adjacent flap, will dependupon the selection and placement of the elements just described, andthis selection and placement may be chosen in accordance with particularcircumstances appertaining to each such flap. For example, it will beapparent in Figure 1 that the lugs 27 and 28 engage the flaps 14 and 16,and

' provided therefor.

that these flaps overlie the chains 25 and 26. Thus the flaps 14 and 16cannot be lowered by bending, and if an attempt were made to raise them,the result might be their disengagement from the lugs 27 and 28.Ordinarily therefore I employ in connection with flaps 14 and 16supporting members from underneath to prevent displacement of theseflaps or supporting members from above for the same purpose. The othertwo flaps 13 and 15 may then be displaced upwardly or downwardly, as thecase may be, and there will be a shearing action at the line of cutsbetween the several flaps.

There is a lateral platform 35 extending across the machine. The upperand lower shafts mentioned, and indicated at 36 and 37, are journaled atone end in a bearing bracket 38. At the other end, as most clearly shownin Figure 6, they are journaled in a gear housing 39 and are connectedwithin the housing by gears 40 and 41. The shaft 37 bears a sprocket 42beyond the gear housing, which sprocket is connected by a chain 43 tothe main drive of the folding and gluing machine so that the shafts 36and 37 will be rotated in timed relationship to the other elements ofthe machine.

In the particular embodiment shown in Figure 1, the lower shaft bears asegmental supporting element 44 which will underlie the edge of flap 16which is adjacent flap 15. The upper shaft 37 bears a pair of deflectingelements 45 and 46 which will act to bend flap 15' downwardly. The lowershaft carries a segmental supporting element 47 underlying that edge offlap 14 which is adjacent flap 15. The upper shaft bears a segmental supporting element 48 overlying that edge of flap 14 which lies adjacentflap 13. The lower shaft bears an upwardly acting deflecting element 49which underlies that edge of flap 13 which is adjacent flap 14.

It will be understood that these supporting and depressing elements maybe made adjustable along the length of the shafts 36 and 37 so that themachine may be set up for freeing the flaps of different sizes ofcartons. The shapes of the supporting and deflecting elements will bebest appreciated from Figures 4 and 5. The supporting elements 48 ofFigure 5 or 44 of Figure 4 are segmental in shape having an operatingedge of circular form about the axes of their respective shafts as acenter. These elements do not deflect the flaps which they engage butmerely support them during the action of the deflecting elements next tobe described. The deflecting element 49 of Figure 5 or 45 of Figure 4 isa radially extending member having an operating edge which lies aslantas shown. The direction of motion of the supporting and deflectingelements is indicated in Figure 4 by arrows. The rotation of the shafts36 and 37 is timed with the movement of the blanks and it will beevident from both of these figures that as these elements come intoposition with relationship to the flaps, a supporting element will holdthe edge of one flap against deflection while a deflecting element willdeflect the adjacent edges of the next flap in such a way as to producea shearing action positively disconnecting adjacent edges of the flapsfrom each other, and breaking any connection webs that may existtherebetween. By reason of the flexibility of the flaps, it is quitepossible to deflect one edge of flap 13, by way of example, while theopposite edge of the same flap is held in channel-shaped side guidesconventional in carton folding and gluing machines but not shown in thedrawings herein.

In the particular embodiment disclosed in Figures 8 through 10 I haveillustrated means by which adjacent carton flaps may be separated onefrom the other while at the same time being broken or bent along scorelines Those parts in these figures which are similar to the embodimentjust described are designated by like reference numerals. For the sakeof clarity "a paperboard blank of somewhat different construction isshown being acted upon by the mechanism now to be described. Itis to beunderstood, however, that the mechanism of this invention is not limitedto any particular type of paperboard blank.

In the embodiment of Figure 4 I illustrated an arrangement wherein asegmental support 44 was positioned to underlie one fiap near an edgethereof while a deflecting element was caused to strike the adjacentflap so that the flaps would be so moved with respect to one another asto insure a clean separation between the flaps. In the modification ofFigure 8 the member 89 may be considered as generally corresponding tothe segmental supporting element 44 just discussed. Similarly the member81 may be considered as generally corresponding to the deflectingelement 45. The elements 89 and 31 are shown as operated by the shafts37 and 36 respectively.

The object of the means 8% and 81 is to not only separate adjacent flapssuch as 82 and 83 but also to bend the flap 83 along its score line suchas would correspond to the score line 84 of the flap 85 located at therear of the blank as moved through the mechanism.

In order to accomplish the desired results certain lie just back of thescore line provided for the flap 83 at the time member 81 and associatedparts 87 and 88 moves to the position of Figure 9. It should beparticularly noted that the laterally extending portion 88 of the member81 lies across the whole width of the flap 83.

The lower edge of the member 88 will extend in its extreme position to alevel slightly below the plane of the paperboard blank as moved throughthe mechanism.

In operation, the upper element (this element more or less replacing andcorresponding to members 45 and 46 and extending the full width of theflap 83) strikes the flap 83 at such time as the lower member 89 (thismember generally corresponding to the element 44 previously described)and bar 86 attached thereto are brought into position behind the flap83, the said bar lying just in back of the score line. Since the flapsadjacent the flap 83 are supported at their edges so as to prevent theirbeing deflected downwardly and since the member 87 extends downwardlybelow the plane of the paperboard blank, as does also the lower edge ofthe member 88, and since the body of the paperboard blank is supportedat a point just back of the score line by the bar 86, it will beapparent that the result of this arrangement is to separate the flap 83from those adjacent it and to at the same time bend the flap 33 alongthe score line provided therefor.

It will be understood that this same general arrangement may be repeatedalong the shafts 36 and 37 depending on how many flaps are to beengaged. Thus, in Figures 8 and 9 I have indicated a member 89corresponding to the member 89 and a member 90 corresponding to themember 81.

Also in Figure 8 I have illustrated a second pair of shafts 91 and 92corresponding to the shafts 36 and 37 respectively. It will be furtherunderstood that these shafts may be operated through the same mechanismas are the shafts 36 and 37. The purpose of the shafts 91 and 92 is tooperate members 93 and 94 so as to care for those flaps along the rearedge of the paperboard blank as moved. Consequently, the member 93 isquite similar to the member 30 and the member 94 is quite similar to themember 81. The chief difference lies in the fact that the member 94 isprovided with a laterally extending portion 95 and downwardly protrudingportion 96 which is of opposite hand as the member 87. As before, thelower supporting element 93 will be provided with a laterally extendingbar 96 adapted to lie ahead of the score line 84.

Again it will be understood that the operation of the modification ofFigure 10 is such that the member 94 and portions 95 and 96 will strikethe flap at such time as the member 93 and support 97 has been movedinto position just ahead of the score line 84. Since the lower edge ofthe member extends slightly below the plane of the blank as moved theresult will again be to bend the flap 85 about its score line 84 whileat the same time freeing the lateral edges of the flap 85 from the flapsadjacent thereto. As before, a plurality of such mechanisms may beplaced along the shafts 91 and 92 as needed.

In my mechanism, the same shafts 36 and 37 (or shafts 8t), 81, 91 and 92as the case may be) operate means for the positive removal of tabs orcut-outs such as discussed above. To this end I provide on the shaft 36an element 50 which is so positioned on the shaft longitudinally andradially that its end will turn into a position coincident with the tabor cut-out 22 of the carton blank. This element 50 has a head 51, asmost clearly shown in Figure 7, which head may have, if desired, afriction facing 52. Both the head and the member 59 are perforated as at53 for the passage of air, and this perforation connects With apassageway 54 in the shaft 36. At the end of the shaft, as most clearlyshown in Figure 6, I provide an internal sleeve 55 engaged in anenlargement of the perforation or bore 54 in the shaft. A packing gland56 is engaged between the end of the sleeve 55 and the shoulder of thebore in the shaft. The sleeve 55 passes outwardly from the gear box 39through a fitting 57. Within this fitting I provide a coil spring 58bearing against a collar 59 on the sleeve 55, and serving to keep thesleeve pressed against the gland member 56.

The sleeve 55 is connected with a valve 69 supplied with air or othergas under pressure through a conduit 61, from a suitable source (notillustrated). The valve has an operating element 62 provided with a camfollower 63. The cam follower bears against a cam element 64 affixed tothe shaft 37, and the coaction of these parts is such that a blast ofgas will issue from the orifice in the head 51 of the member 50 whenthis member has turned. into the position illustrated in Figures 6 and 7and lies directly above the tab or cut-out 22. The result of the blastof gas is to deflect the tab or cut-out downwardly, or even to blow itout entirely if it is free enough.

For detachment I provide a positive gripper which pulls the tab oil oraway from the blank and which will next be described. This grippercomprises a body 65 attached to the shaft 37 in such radial position asto coact with the member so in the way shown in Figures 6 and 7. Thebody 65 is hollow. V'Jithin it I pivot as at 66 a gripping finger 67,biased to gripping position by a spring engaging it and. an abutment 69on the body 65. The end of the gripping finger e7 coacts with a grippingsurface 79, also formed on the body es. The pivoting shaft as of thenipping finger 6'7 extends outwardly from the body 65 and is providedwith a lever arm 71 and a cam following roller 72. This cam followingroller bears against the surface of a cam 73 and is actuated thereby soas to move the gripping finger 67 from nongripping to gripping position.Since the element 65 will be rotating with the shaft 37 the cam member73 must be stationary, and to this end i mount it on a bracket 74 athxedto the platform 35. For adjustment purposes, the cam is rota'tivelymounted on a sleeve 75 on the bracket and held in place by a flange 76.The adjustment means for the cam comprises a rod 77 pivoted thereto asat 73, extending downwardly through a perforation 79 in the platform 35and actuated (as shown in Figure 4-), by a thumb screw 80 mounted on abracket 81 affixed to the platform 35 and engaging a threaded end of therod 77. The adjusting nut 89 is, of course, rotatively mounted on thebracket 81 but is not axially moveable with respect thereto.

It will be seen that upon proper adjustment of the cam 73, it will sooperate the gripping finger 67 that when the blast of gas from themember 50 has deflected the tab or cut-out 22, the tab or cut-out willbe engaged between the end of the finger 67 and the gripping surface 70.The shape of the cam 73 is such that this gripping action persistsduring a considerable part of rotation of the member 65; and during thisrotation, the gripped tab is pulled off or away from the carton blank.Thereafter the shape of the cam 73 is such as to release the grippingengagement and the removed tab will then be deposited by the grippingmechanism in a container or chute (not shown) associated with theplatform 35.

By the provision of the relatively simple timed mechanism hereinabovedescribed, which may readily be installed on any conventional cartonblank treating machine, I have arranged not only for the automaticfreeing of adjacent closure flaps from each other, but also for thepositive removal of cut-outs or tabs from the blanks, as well as for thebreaking of certain flaps along their score lines. It will be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the treatment of cartons or cartonblanks of the precise form shown in the drawings; but the elementsdescribed may be moved along the shafts 36 and 37 to positions toaccommodate the blanks of different sizes; that the supporting deflectorand tab removal elements may be multiplied as desired to free any numberof flaps from adjacent flaps, and to remove any number of tabs orcut-outs with which a particular blank may be provided. While theoperating elements have been shown as acting upon seal-end closure flapsat the trailing edge of a carton blank, it will be understood that themechanism may be timed in such a way asto cause these elements orsimilar ones to act upon closure flaps at the leading edge of the cartonblank or at both edges, depending upon the type of carton blank beingtreated. Thus various modifications may be made in my invention withoutdeparting from the spirit of it. Having thus described my invention inan exemplary embodiment, what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a carton blank treating machine, a conveyor for moving cartonblanks in timed relationship in a path of travel, a pair of shaftsextending across said path of travel, one shaft of the pair lying on oneside of said path and the other shaft of the pair lying on the otherside of said path, driving means for said shafts timed in connectionwith the movements of said conveyor and a pair of operating devices, oneon each shaft, shaped to provide relative movement of said flap edges ina shearing fashion to free said edges from each other, one of saidoperating devices comprising a supporting means and the other of saidoperating devices comprising a deflecting means, the combined lengths ofsaid supporting means and of said deflecting means being greater thanthe distance between said shafts, said supporting and deflecting meansbeing spaced axially on said shafts to engage respectively adjacentedges of closure flaps of carton blanks moving along said conveyor, saidmachine including a pair of coacting means, one on each of said shafts,for the removal of a cut-out element from said blanks, said operatingmeans timed for coincidence with said cut-out as the blanks move betweensaid shafts, one of said operating means being a perforated element fordelivering a blast of gas against said cut-out to deflect it to theopposite side of a blank, and the other of said operating means having agripper for engaging the cut-out so deflected and removing it during therotation of said operating means.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein the shaft on which saidfirst mentioned operating means is mounted is provided with a centralgas delivery bore connected with a valve and wherein said valve isoperated by a timed cam to deliver said blast of gas when said firstmentioned i 8 operating member'rotates into coincidence with saidoutout.

3. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein the shaft on which saidfirst mentioned operating means is mounted is provided with a centralgas delivery bore connected with a valve and wherein said valve isoperated by a timed cam to deliver said blast of gas when said firstmentioned operating member rotates into coincidence with said cutout,and wherein said second mentioned operating means has a gripping surfaceand a gripping finger coacting therewith and pivoted to said operatingmeans and wherein a stationary cam is Provided for operating saidgripping finger to cause it to engage said deflected cut-out, remove itfrom the carton blank during further rotation of said second mentionedoperating means, and then release the removed cut-out.

4. In a carton folding and gluing machine, a conveyor for moving cartonblanks in timed sequence, a pair of transverse shafts extending acrosssaid conveyor, one shaft of the pair lying beneath the conveyor and theother shaft of the pair lying above the conveyor, said shafts beinggeared together, and driven in timed sequence with said conveyor, asegment-shaped supporting means attached to one of said shafts and anon-segment-shaped deflecting means coacting therewith and attached tothe other of said shafts, the combined lengths of said supporting meansand of said deflecting means being greater than the distance betweensaid shafts, said supporting and deflecting means being spaced axiallyon said shafts to engage respectively adjacent edges of closure flaps ofcarton blanks moving along said conveyor, and a pair of operatingelements one attached to each of the said shafts and positioned tocoincide with a cut-out in carton blanks moving along said conveyor, oneof said last mentioned operating elements having an orifice for thedelivery of a blast of gas and the other of said operating elementshaving a mechanically actuated gripping means for engaging and removinga cut-out deflected by said blast of gas.

5. In a carton blank treating machine, a conveyor for moving cartonblanks in timed relationship in a path of travel, a pair of shaftsextending across said path of travel, one shaft of the pair lying on oneside of said path and the other shaft of the pair lying on the otherside of said path, driving means for said shaft timed in connection withthe movements of said conveyor and a pair of operating devices, one oneach shaft, shaped to provide relative movement of said flap edges in ashearing fashion to free said edges from each other, one of saidoperating devices comprising a supporting means and the other of saidoperating devices comprising a deflecting means, the combined lengths ofsaid supporting means and of said defleeting means being greater thanthe distance between said shafts, said supporting and deflecting meansbeingspaced axially on said shaft to engage respectively adjacent edgesof closure flaps of carton blanks moving along said conveyor, one ofsaid operating devices being provided with a laterally extending memberadapted to lie adjacent a score line provided across one of said endflaps, and the other of said devices being provided with a laterallyextending member adapted to contact said one end flap across its entirewidth adjacent its said score line,

an edge of one of said laterally extending members extending through thesaid path of travel, whereby said one end flap is bent along its saidscore line.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which that device provided with thelaterally extending member having an edge extending through the saidpath of travel is also provided with a second member having a portionextending through the said path of travel, said second member beingapproximately parallel to the adjacent edges of the said two end flaps.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which said second member defines aslightly obtuse angle with the said laterally extending member fixed tothe same device.

8. In a carton gluing machine, a conveyor for moving carton blanks intimed relationship in a path of travel, a pair of shafts extendingacross said path of travel, one shaft of the pair lying on one side ofsaid path and the other shaft of the pair lying on the other side ofsaid path, driving means for said shafts timed in connection with themovements of said conveyor and a pair of operating devices, one on eachshaft, shaped to provide relative movement of said flap edges in ashearing fashion to free said edges from each other, one of saidoperating devices comprising a supporting means and the other of saidoperating devices comprising a deflecting means, the combined lengths ofsaid supporting means and of said deflecting means being greater thanthe distance between said shafts, said supporting and deflecting meansbeing spaced axially on said shafts to engage respectively adjacentedges of closure flaps of carton blanks moving along said conveyor, saidmachine also including a pair of coacting means one on each of saidshafts for the removal of a cut-out element from said blanks, saidoperating means timed for coincidence with said cut-out as the blanksmove between said shafts, one of said operating means being a perforatedelement for delivering a blast of gas against said cut-out to deflect itto the opposite side of a blank, and the other of said operating meanshaving a gripper for engaging the cut-out so deflected and removing itduring the rotation of said operating means, one of said operatingdevices being provided with a laterally extending member adapted to lieadjacent a score line provided across one of said end flaps, and inwhich the other of said devices is provided with a laterally extendingmember adapted to contact said one end flap across its entire widthadjacent its said score line, an edge of one of said laterally extendingmembers extending through the said path of travel, whereby said one endflap is bent along its said score line.

9. In a carton gluing machine, a conveyor for moving carton blanks intimed relationship in a path of travel, a pair of shafts extendingacross said path of travel, one shaft of the pair lying on one side ofsaid path and the other shaft of the pair lying on the other side ofsaid path, driving means for said shafts timed in connection with themovements of said conveyor and a pair of operating devices, one on eachshaft, shaped to provide relative movement of said flap edges in ashearing fashion to free said edges from each other, one of saidoperating devices comprising a supporting means and the other of saidoperating devices comprising a deflecting means, the combined lengths ofsaid supporting means and said deflecting means being greater than thedistance between said shafts, said supporting and deflecting means beingspaced axially on said shafts to engage respectively adjacent edges ofclosure flaps of carton blanks moving along said conveyor, one of saidoperating devices extending the full width of one of said end flapsalong a score line provided therefor and the other of said operatingdevices supporting a side edge of the other of said end flaps, said oneoperating device being capable of extending through said path of travel,and said other operating device having a laterally extending memberarranged to lie adjacent said score line when said one operating deviceextends through said path of travel, whereby said one end flap is bentalong its said score line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS609,007 Butler Aug. 16, 1898 1,987,224 Bergstein Jan. 8, 1935 2,125,147Bergstein July 26, 1938 2,193,412 Southam Mar. 12, 1940 2,351,670 Deschet al a June 20, 1944 2,462,513 Kucklinsky Feb. 22, 1949

